Editor's Opinion: 5 Reasons Toyota's Public Relations Nightmare Is Good for Customers

This is Lexus' first hatchback.

Over the past year Toyota has been weighted down with a series of recalls, literally one after another, after a number of the brand's loyal customers (and some opportunist who were looking to become instant millionaires) relayed story, after story, after story of unintended acceleration concerns.

These unintended acceleration claims placed Toyota on front-street. Toyota, who was usually praised for building reliable vehicles and for being at the forefront for providing class-leading hybrid technology, was now being cast in a negative light, causing Toyota loyalist (and potential buyers) to question if they should continue rolling with the automaker or kick it the curb.

In fact, earlier this week, Toyota agreed to pay the U.S. government $32.4 million, the largest fine every accessed to any automaker in regard to improperly notifying regulators of safety defects in timely fashion. And this is in addition to a $16.4 million levy paid earlier to settle a similar probe by the U.S. government, bringing the the total sum paid to $48.8 million. Toyota may not be out the woods yet with regulators. More fines could be in the pipeline.

With that being said, the U. S. consumers are the real winners in this embarrassing fiasco for the automaker.

1. Consumers no longer have a false perception about imports. As you see, Toyota is prone to quality issues just as any other automaker. 
2. The automaker has been forced to offer deep discounts on their vehicles to stay competitive. According to Truecar.com, Toyota's new-vehicle incentive spending was up 34.5%, when comparing November 2010 to November 2009. Toyota sales were down 3% last month, while the industry as a whole was making gains. This means that consumers will find that Toyota dealers will work magic to help move product.
3. All new Toyota and Scion vehicles now include a two-year service maintenance plan with roadside assistance. Besides VW, this is the only mainstream brand offering free maintenance. This is typically reserved for high-end, luxury brands. It rumored that Toyota executives even consider offering an extended powertrain warranty just as Hyundai and Kia did several years ago to win the trust of American car buyers.
4. All Toyota, Scion and Lexus vehicles are equipped with a Five-Star Safety System - eliminating even the slightest chance of sudden acceleration..
5. Toyota is finally going to get back into the business of  building fun-to-drive, sporty vehicles. Two years ago in the midst of the turmoil with the American car industry Toyota was on track to become the number one automaker in the U. S. in terms of new-vehicle sales. They had already dethroned Ford. (Ironically, Ford is slated to dethrone Toyota this year due to them doing what Toyota had neglected to offer in their vehicles.) Everyone is building reliable vehicles. Look at the new Hyundai Sonata, which competes head to-head with the popular Camry. Which one has more swag-appeal: the Camry or Sonata? According to the latest new-vehicle sales numbers, more and more consumers are turning to Hyundai for that reason. There is a reason why the Sonata has become one of the five top-selling vehicles in America. In the midsize market segment, there is just too much competition for any automaker, specifically Toyota, to continue to rest on their laurel designing conservative vehicles  that don't stir the soul of today's buyers. Toyota has finally heard the message loud and clear. In March 2011, the automaker will kick-up its cool-factor with the release of the all-new Lexus CT200h, the luxury brand's first sporty looking hybrid .